Multiple hydrocyclone



I F. J. FONTEIN 2,668,620

MULTIPLE HYDROCYCLONE Feb. 9, 1954 Filed May 6, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l I ll --3 21 a INVENTOR Freerk J. Forcbein BY MM; M'LM ATTORNEY Feb. 9, 1954 F. .1. FONTEIN MULTIPLE HYDROCYCLONE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1950 29 INVENTOR- F'rerk J. l'bld'in MM mam ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 9, 1954 MUDTIRIJE HYDHOUYCLHNE Freerk J. 'EFontein, Heerlen, :Nethenlands, assignor to =Stamicarbon V., Heorlen, Netherlands '5 Claims. 1 This invention :relates to hydro'cyolones such as are used "to treat *solids "in liquid "suspension for the purpose of thickening or ofol'assifyin'g the suspended solids into predetermined fractions. Such solids may he either organic or inorganic, such as starch, paper 'pu'lp, ores, :coal, phosphate rock, and the like; However, such diverse materials require different dimensions-of hydrocyclonesand-different operating conditions,

so a brief descriptionof the general l'iaraoteristics of such a hydrocyclon'e may *be helpful.

A hydrocyclone is a generally cylindrical vessel comprising a truly cylindrical part or'section -*w'hihmerges into a generally conical part or section. There isanopening-'at'the apex 'ofithe cone of the "conical section "and there is another opening, coaxial with the apex "opening, in the cover-platoon the-cylindrical section.

In the opening in the cover-plate, is carried a 'tubeth'a t protrudes from that plate outward and i extends inward-1y into the cylindrical sectionnf the hydrocyc'lone. "This iscalled a'vortex finiier. There "Is a tangential feed inlet to the eyl indrical section.

In operation, the liquid suspension is supplied "to the hydrocyclone "under pressure through the "tangential feed inlet to the cylindrical 'seotion whereby the suspension *is :given "a quick enough rotational rimpiilse to keep it rotating :during fits passage through'therhydrocyclone. @nezfraotion of the suspended solids is discharged from the hydrocyolone tmiough the apex opening uthile fference. If I separation is ha'sed rspeci'fic gravity difference, :tahe zsolids having :less specific gravity sare dischaeged ithrough athe :"oase, while *the solids having greater specific granityiare sillsioharged through the :apex. As separation a hydrooyclone is :depmdent upion :intense notaitional' :forces, me (obstructions be tolerated in the ihydro'cydl'one which :must dianeza perfectly smooth b'oreifor otherwise Zharminl :seoomiary "eddies are set up; The ieed entrance also must be smooth and'unobstrueted.

v The functioning of ra fhydrocyclone ;is readily effected by slight environmental #ohang-es, such as changing the :area of theinfeed sentrance; the infee'el pressure; the diameter ofr the apex-diszcharge; .the diameter 0f the length of the vortex 'ifinderl; the diameter .ofsthe length of the cylin- :2 :dri'cal section; or *the'shape of ithezeonioa'l 'tion. In genera-1, the smaller the dimension-of the suspended solids-"to be separated, the 'smalller "must be the diameter oithe 'cylindrical seotion *o'f thehydrocyclone. Forinstanoe, a hydrooy- -clon'e for the separation oi phosphate ruck from limestone will have a cylindrical section roli the order of 48 inches in diameter, whereas a ihydrocyclone 'for the thickening of starch w'ill i'haive a cylindrical section of the order of one-half #eln inch in diameter. A 48-inch hydrocyclone will have an hourly "capacity o'feihout 100U0 times "that of a half-inch 'hydrocyolonethe capacity of the latter being about '25 gallons per hour. Thus, in 'a starch "factory Where it is =i'l'esired' t0 "thicken say 25,000 gallons of starch per hour,

15000 "half-inch hydrocyclones woiilfi lbe re'quired. While this may seem to be a "start-1mg number, the e'ificiency of these smaller ihydrooyclones ior making satisfactory separations alongfthe I-Iine o'f infinitesimal :size *di-iferen'ces, is such as to make their use desirable. However, mechanical problems of hooking "up 'so -m'any tiny hydrocyclones as to feed-and -'discharges, are-serious. So it is a major object of this invention to'tatke the tiny 'type of hydrooyc'lone 'outof the laboratory stage by devising ways and means whereby they are to be supplied and '"dis'chargedecononiically without having a "maze of feed and d-ischargepipes and fittings.

A further object 'of this invention "is towilevise means whereby such a hydrocyelon'e can be -cast or moulded into a unit to 'present an exterior having abuttable faces that permit such units tobe*secureiito'getherinmultiple.

Another subject "of the invention is to devise ways and means whereby amultip'li'c'ity ofhyd-rocyclones, hereinafter referred to as a multiple- ,hydro'oyclone, can "be housedin a single casing or container.

A more specific object"ofthexinvention isto or mould the cylindrical and coriioeileeetinn of a 'hydrocyclon'e into a block-like body unit, While casting or moulding the -'cover-*p1ate with its yor't'ex finder as one separalil'e unitfor "the fbfldy fi f rena l ne a group of body iblodks of a midtiple 'hydrocyelone to "have only 'one neverpla'te for .the multiple lease-"discharges. "In other words, "it is 'an object of this "invention to .secure together a multiple of Fhydrocyclone bod-y hlooks in a main body asseniblyto which oan be applieda minimum of other separable'se'ctions'that .contain within themselves the essential feedand ldischargie openings required to make the-multinleehydrooylone into an operable :device'with be'connected to one infeed tube. 'zhydrocyclone is contained in a block, the other part being contained in the cover, the two parts 1 joining in the cylindrical part of the hydro- I cyclone. covers and the vortex finders whereas the blocks v; contain at least the conical parts and the tops of l the hydrocyclones.

, are clamped together between plates ,;and strips 5. part of the cover 2 which covers it, contalns as no external accessories other than a unitary feed conduit, and a unitary conduit each for the basedischarges and for the apex-discharges.

To realize these objects, the invention comprises a construction consisting of a number of non-cylindrical blocks, a cover-plate and means to secure these parts together; this construction containing'a feed channel and at least as many hydrocyclones as there are blocks in the construction. All the blocks are contoured in such a way that any two adjacent blocks in the multiple-hydrocyclone are secured together in faceabutting relationship. Every block together with the part of the cover-plate which covers it, contains at least one complete hydrocyclone plus a part of the infeed channel. When the blocks and the cover-plate are assembled and secured together, a single infeed channel has been formed through the multiple-hydrocyclone, which can Part of every The cover-plate contains at least the It is possible to manufacture the blocks and the cover-plate by casting or by moulding under fpressure to obtain identical hydrocyclones without burrs.

No infeed pipes are necessary within such a multiple-hydrocyclone; the number of xhydrocyclones in one multiple hydrocyclone can be determined according to requirements.

Other features; objects and advantages of the Figure 2 is a cross-section perpendicular to the channel I I and through the axis of a hydrocyclone.

Figure'3 is a front elevation of ablock. Figure 4 is an exploded cross-sectional view perpendicular to the channel I I through the -oentre line of the tenon and mortise oint (I6 and ll) of the cover and a block.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a clamping device.

Figure 6 is an exploded plan view of the tenon and mortise joint (58 and I9) of the cover and plate 3.

Figure '7 is a cross-section like Figure 2, however, of another embodiment of the invention, perpendicular to the channel H and through I the axis of a hydrocyclone.

In the assembled multiple-hydrocyclone, the body blocks I and the cover-plate or closure 2 Each block I together with the a bore therein a complete hydrocyclone; the

cylindrical part or section 6, conical part or section I, apex opening 8 (Fig. 2), cover 2, tube or conduit 9 that function as a vortex finder and tangential infeed tapered entrance or inlet I along with a part of the infeed channel ll through which the hydrocyclones can be fed.

The blocks I present fiat faces I2, I3, I4 and I (Fig. 3) so that in the assembled multiple-hydro- -fcyclone the face I3 of one block I is in face- ;abutting relationship with face I5 of another block I. The cover is connected with the blocks by tenon I6 and mortise I! joints (see Figs. 1

3 and G 4 and 4) to secure the vortex finder 9 axially and centrally in the cylindrical bores 6.

Of course no suspension should leak out between the blocks I. When rubber blocks are used they should be-pressed against each other and against the cover. When the blocks are of a nonelastic material a packing is required between the blocks and between the cover and the blocks. The plates 3 and 4 are provided with curved edges overlapping the cover 2, which is connected with the plates 3 and 4 by tenon I8 and mortise 19 joints (Fig. 5). Figures 1 and 6 show how the blocks I and the cover .2 can be pressed together. The bolts 20 and -2I provided with the nuts 22 and 23 respectively, are received in perforations in the L-sectional members 24, the flanged edges 25 of the strips 5 and the square members 26 and 21 welded respectively to the plates 3 and 4. By tightening the nuts 22 and 23 the blocks and the cover are pressedtogether. Plate 3 is provided with infeed tube 28, plate 4 closes the infeed channel I I at the other end. 1 1 In another embodiment of the invention (Fig. 7) part of the channel II, infeed entrances I0 and cylindrical part 6' are provided in the coverplate 2. Of course, it is also possible to provide these parts in the cover only. Figure '7 shows further how the discharge of a multiplehydrocyclone can be received in two receivers 29 and 30, each with a single discharge tube 3I and 32 respectively.

In operation, the suspension to be separated is pumped through tube 28 into the channel II, and from there is forced into the infeed entrances II). Rotating bodies of suspensions come into being in the cylindrical parts 6 and in the conical parts I of the hydrocyclones, with the separated fractions being discharged through "the apex openings 8 and through the vortex finders or tubes 9 respectively by way of the receiversiifl and 29 into-the discharge tubes 32 and 3i.

Although for the sake of simplicity only five blocks have been indicated in Figure 1 it is obvious that much larger numbers of hydrocyclones can be united into corresponding multiple-hydrocyclones and it will be clear that the invention of this multiple-hydrocyclone makes the small hydrocyclone as useful an industrial separator as the large hydrocyclone already is:

I claim:

1. A unit block for a multiple-unit hydro- 'cyclone, comprising a rectangular shape having exterior faces and a longitudinal bore of diminishing diameter, and associated therewith a feed inlet debouching tangentially into the larger end of the bore at a right angle thereto as well as a feed channel larger in cross-section than the feed inlet and as long as the shape is wide extending in a direction that is at a right angle to the axis of the bore with which bore the feed inlet connects the feed channel, each sent faces holdable together in face-abutting relationship, a feed inletdebouching tangentially into the larger end of the space, a feed channel for each shape communicating with the entrance to the feed inlet extending in a direction that is at a right angle to the axis of the space with the feed channel for one block aligned with the feed channel of abutting blocks and with the cross-sectional area of the feed channel greater than that of the feed inlet, means for holding the abutting blocks together including an apertured plate for covering the abutting blocks at the larger end thereof that also encloses the feed channel between the cover plate and. the blocks with one aperture for each block, and means for securing the cover plate on the abutting blocks with an aperture axially aligned with the space in each block.

5. A multiple hydrocyclone assembly comprising a plurality of shapes contoured for multiples thereof to be held together in face-abutting'relationship with each shape having an axial bore of diminishing diameter and intersectingly thereto a tangential feed inlet debouching into the larger end of the bore, a feed channel for each shape communicating with the entrance to the feed inlet extending in a direction at a right angle to the bore and positioned in alignment with the feed channel of each abutting shape to make a continuous feed channel across the shapes and. with the cross-sectional area of the channel greater than that of each feed inlet, means for holding the shapes together including from each aperture of the cover means, and

means for securing the cover means on the shapes with one of the tubular members axially aligned with each bore.

FREERK J. FONTEIN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,312,706 Freeman Mar. 2, 1943 2,372,514 Pootjes Mar. 27, 1945 2,530,181 Schilling Nov. 14, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 693,823 France Apr. 12, 1930 880,715 France Jan. 6', 1943 OTHER REFERENCES Greer et al., Preliminary American Tests of a Cyclone Coal Washer Developed in the Netherlands, American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, Tech. Paper 2136 (1947), pages 2 and. 3. (Copy in Se. Lib.)

Taggart, Handbook of Mineral Dressing, published 1945 by John Wiley and Sons Inc., New York, New York. (Copy in Div. 25.) Sec. 9, pages 9-07 through 9-13. 

